Episode 11: New Opportunities

Previously

Jake met with the Delta Group representative and offered him more money to dig up information on Guy. Robert and Leslie Grainger arrived from Boston to celebrate Christmas with David and Stephanie. Lauren slammed Jake for getting involved with the Delta Group so he hired Morgan to be his personal assistant. Julia told Cassie to get a job like Morgan making her jealous. When she started to trash Morgan's bedroom, Guy entered and found the video camera she used to trap Mark. He set it up in Julia's room to tape her next encounter with David. Tommy intercepted the videotape and after confronting David, he destroyed it. Cassie overheard their conversation and decided to warn Guy. Morgan collapsed in Jake's office. David forced Robert and Leslie to give him the identity of Stephanie's parents. They told him-Leo and Maureen Fielding.

Wheeler Estate: Napa Valley

Making a loud thud as he shuts the front door, David follows Julia into the living room.

"Good news?" she asks, spotting the grin on his face.

"You could say that." He replies, flopping down on the sofa and accepting a glass of mineral water.

Julia pours herself some, "Well are you going to tell me what it is?"

"I found something out…about Stephanie. The other day I was going through the closet and found out that she was adopted."

Julia frowns, "Why is that good? It’s hardly an earth shattering revelation sweetheart. A whole lot of people are."

"But I haven’t told you who she was adopted from."

"Well?"

"Leo and Maureen Fielding."

"Who…No! Mark’s parents? Stephanie is Mark’s sister?"

"Yes." David leans forward, placing his glass on the table and taking Julia’s hands in his.

"Maybe I should tell you something…" As Julia is about to continue a crash comes from the kitchen.

"Move!" Pilar’s voice floods the peace of the living room.

Julia sighs and moves to the door to get a closer look at what catastrophe has occurred whilst David flicks through a magazine from the coffee table.

Pilar is attacking a deliveryman with a dishcloth "Move! Get out! We no want you were no more!"

"Pilar be quiet!" Julia shouts, giving time for the shocked teenage delivery boy to race out of the back door. "Thank you." She adds before going back to David.

"You wanted to tell me something?" He looks at her curiously.

"It’s about Mark’s parents. You know they were killed in a car crash."

"Yes, you mentioned it."

"Well I didn’t tell you how the car crash happened. According to witnesses, when the car went off the road, Maureen was holding a gun to her husband’s head."

David looks disbelieving, "A gun? Why?"

"I don’t know. According to Morgan, Mark said that Maureen had been in a mental institution prior to the accident. She was deranged."

Oh God. Stephanie’s mother was exactly the same as her… "You’re saying Maureen Fielding caused her husband’s death?"

"Yes, and her own."

"Oh my God." David mutters to himself.

Wheeler Corporation: San Francisco

Putting the phone down, Lauren massages her temples and drops her pen down on the desk. Thinking that Jake will probably have ended his taunting session by now, she turns to look into his office. Across the building, she can see a figure lying motionless on the ground…It’s Morgan.

Lauren flings her chair back and races through the foyer past her worried secretary Marge. "Mrs Erikson?" Marge calls out after her.

Lauren does not turn around. "Call an ambulance." She shouts back. "I think Morgan’s collapsed."

"Right away."

Chaos breaks out in the foyer and Lauren runs into Jake’s office. Morgan is crumpled on the floor, bleeding from her head. There is also blood on the corner of the desk, dripping uncontrollably onto the carpet.

"Morgan! Morgan!" Lauren shouts but she does not move.

Marge runs in, "I called the ambulance. They’re on their way. Oh my God." The elderly secretary flings a hand to her face in shock as Lauren gets down onto her knees.

"It’s okay. She’s still breathing."

Guy’s Apartment: Napa City

"Come in." Guy beckons Cassie inside the dingy apartment and stands with his back against the door. "Well?"

"I did as you asked and went to David’s office. But Stephanie didn’t get the tape."

"Why?"

"Her son destroyed it before she could get the chance. David managed to sweet talk him. He seems a little naïve if you ask me."

Guy opens a drawer in his bedside chest as Cassie continues. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"Simple." Guy pulls out a videotape. "You think I wasn’t clever enough to make a copy?"

Cassie smiles, "You think of everything."

"Damn right." Guy pulls out a small box covered in wrapping paper and places the videotape on a bed of tissue paper inside. "It’s Christmas Eve so she should be home baking the turkey…"

"Baking the turkey on Christmas Eve?"

"Well whatever the hell it is you do to a turkey. Anyway that’s what she’ll be preparing. So I think we should drive over there and hand deliver this little gift. You know…the personal touch."

"How very thoughtful of you."

"Well like you said Cassie…I think of everything."

Jackson Memorial Hospital: San Francisco

Lauren waits anxiously in the gleaming white corridor and jumps up when she sees Mark running towards her.

"Mark!"

He wraps his arms around her. "Hey! What’s going on?"

She looks up at him, "Morgan collapsed in the office and the ambulance brought her in."

"Was it serious?" Because if it was, all my prayers will be answered.

"Well she was unconscious when I found her but woke up on the way in. The doctor is with her now."

"They didn’t give you any clue as to what was wrong."

"No. I found her on the floor. I don’t know whether she just tripped and hit her head on Jake’s desk or whether she collapsed for some other reason."

"Let’s wait and see when the doctor comes out."

* * *

"Doctor." Morgan says impatiently. "You can sort out the gash on my head in a minute. What I want to know is…why did I fall? Why did I blackout?"

The doctor looks at a nurse and then consults his clipboard. "Because, Miss Janssen, you are pregnant."

"No!" she clutches at the bedclothes flashing back to the night she spent with Mark. She hasn’t slept with anyone else for months. Not since she was turning tricks in LA…

"How far along am I?"

"About four weeks. Which is probably why you haven’t yet noticed any distinct irregularity in your periods. The only reason you collapsed today was exhaustion and as you are pregnant, there was a greater toll on your body than usual."

"I see." Morgan does not make eye contact with the doctor. It is too distracting. The only thing on her mind at the moment is how the hell she is going to tell Mark.

Wheeler Estate: Napa Valley

Jake has arrived home to change before returning to the office. He is sure Morgan is capable of handling his calls. It is Christmas Eve after all. Nobody important will get in touch with him. First he needs a drink and after Pilar exits, he heads into the kitchen. As he savors the taste of the scotch he is drinking, the phone rings, taking him by surprise and almost making him drop the glass.

He picks up the phone and realizes that Julia has already answered. Curious about the conversation, he stays on the line.

* * *

"Where are you calling from?" Julia asks trying to concentrate. The line is bad.

"The hospital. I’m on my cell phone." Morgan replies.

"Morgan, you’re not supposed to use cell phones in hospitals. Make sure nobody catches you. Why are you there anyway?"

"That’s the least of my worries. I’m here because I had an accident in Jake’s office...Lauren rushed me in."

"Oh God, nothing serious I hope. I don’t want you getting debilitated before we can show Lauren that videotape."

"That’s the thing. I don’t think we need to."

Julia arches her eyebrow, "Why? Tell me you haven’t done anything stupid…"

"Not intentionally. It’s the reason why I collapsed. The doctor told me I’m pregnant…and it’s Mark’s child."

Julia is stunned into paralysis for a few seconds as she takes in the revelation. This was not the way she had planned it. "How do you know it’s Mark’s?"

"Because he’s the only person I slept with in the last two months and I’m four weeks along. I know it’s Christmas but I ain’t no Virgin Mary."

"Don’t be so damn flippant!" Julia yells down the phone. "I was only making sure. I thought you two used protection anyway!"

"We did! Something must have gone wrong."

"Have you told Mark yet?"

"No. Lauren’s sticking to him like glue and I didn’t know what you wanted me to do."

"Tell him. See how he reacts. We can deal with Lauren later."

"Okay."

Julia starts to wonder why Morgan is treating the pregnancy with such irrelevance. Maybe she just hasn’t taken in the fact that she is going to become a mother.

* * *

Julia had not noticed her son listening intently to the surprising conversation. Could this be any better? Jake thinks to himself. If there is one way of bringing Lauren down it’s Mark. And when she finds out he got another woman pregnant, her world will come crashing.

Elliott House: San Francisco

Stephanie is busying herself, preparing the kitchen for tomorrow as Leslie watches absent-mindedly. Her biggest problem at the moment is David and Robert suggested that perhaps they leave as soon as they can.

"There." Stephanie utters, satisfied that the kitchen is fully ready. With a glow of pride, she washes her hands and sits down at the table opposite her mother. "You don’t look so happy." She says, fiddling with a candle in the middle of the table.

"I am. It’s just…Your father and I have to go back to Boston earlier than we planned."

Stephanie pulls her hands back from the candle, "Why?"

"Because Daddy has an important meeting in a couple of days that he has only just remembered. I’m sure we’ll have a lovely Christmas, but after that…we really have to go."

"I can’t believe this. Just this once…for one family gathering, can’t Daddy put business aside?"

"It really isn’t his fault Stephanie and I’d appreciate it if you did not take that tone with me."

"What tone?" Stephanie flings her hands in the air wildly and stares at her mother, piercing through her.

"The same tone you’ve always used when things don’t go your way. Listen, I don’t want Christmas ruined. But your father is retiring next year. You know he has to keep his financial affairs in order until then. Do you want us to retire penniless?" Leslie emphasizes the word to add extra drama, which is not lost on her daughter.

Stephanie rolls her eyes, "I’m sure one meeting will not make that much difference mother. Anyway, fine. Do what you have to do. At least we’re spending Christmas together for once."

"Exactly." Leslie diverts her eyes to a photo of David in the corner of the room. How dare he try to ruin our lives. She frowns in frustration and abruptly leaves the kitchen.

Jackson Memorial Hospital: San Francisco

As the doctor exits Morgan’s room, Mark and Lauren rise together.

"Is she okay?" Lauren asks quizzically.

"Fine. She needs some rest that’s all. I can’t go into details but I’m sure she’ll fill you in on everything." He turns to Mark, "Actually, Ms Janssen wishes to see you."

Lauren takes a puzzled expression as Mark starts to feel uncomfortable. "What for?" he demands.

"I really don’t know. But I suggest you go and see her now before she falls asleep."

Mark faces Lauren, "I’ll be back out in a minute okay?"

"Sure…" Lauren watches him enter the private hospital room and sits back down. What is going on?

* * *

"What the hell is this?" Mark shuts the door behind him. "Lauren’s going to get suspicious."

Morgan sits up, "She would have gotten more than suspicious if I’d told her the reason I wanted to see you."

"What are you talking about?" he ignores a chair and chooses to remain standing.

"This." She points cryptically towards her stomach.

"Huh?" Mark responds stupidly.

"I’m pregnant!"

Mark swallows before replying, "And what has that got to do with me?"

"Come off it Mark. You know damn well what it has got to do with you. It’s your child!"

"Don’t be ridiculous." He bends down and continues in a whisper, "We used protection…remember?"

"Oh I remember alright. But it’s not always one hundred percent efficient. You’re a big boy. You should know that."

"I don’t believe you. You must have slept with a handful of other men since you’ve been here. You don’t exactly strike me as the shy and retiring type!"

"Are you implying that I’m some kind of slut? You are the only person I have had sex with and as I pointed out to Ju…as I pointed out, this is not an immaculate conception."

"Yes and you’ve got the tape to prove it." Mark spits furiously.

"So you believe me now?"

"As soon as that child is born…if it is born we are going to have a paternity test immediately."

"Doesn’t bother me. I know the truth already. Perhaps you should be more worried about how you’re going to break it to your darling Lauren. Oh my God, I can imagine her reaction now." Morgan gasps, mockingly making an impression of Lauren and then laughs. "I can’t wait. She’ll probably fly off to a convent or something to get over the trauma."

"Leave her out of this!"

Morgan takes a sip of water, "But she’s very much a part of this honey. You should think about that…and tell her…before I do."

"It’s not your place to say anything."

"On the contrary. And I’m quite looking forward to it."

Elliott House: San Francisco

Walking past the radio, which hums with Christmas carols, Leslie answers the door. An attractive blond haired man is standing there with a baseball cap on his head, covering his face.

"Can I help you?" she asks, her attention immediately drawn to the box he is holding under his arm.

"Yes." He pulls the gift out and hands it to her. "Could you give this to Stephanie Elliott please."

"Of course." Leslie tries to see a name on the gift tag. "Should I sign for it?"

"No, that’s not necessary. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

In her car across the street, Cassie is waiting for Guy to cross and watches Leslie who is scanning the gift.

"Who was that nosy old crow?" She asks as Guy jumps into the car and pulls off his cap, flinging it onto the back seat.

"No idea. But she said she’d give it to her. Merry Christmas Stephanie." Guy laughs as Cassie drives off down the street.

Inside the house, Leslie walks into the living room slowly, annoyed that she has not found any identification. The only name on the tag is Stephanie’s.

"Oh well." She sighs and kneeling down, she places it under the tree.

Wheeler Estate: Napa Valley

Christmas morning is going smoothly despite Lauren’s insistence on giving Pilar the day off to spend with her family. She just doesn’t realize the inconvenience, Julia thinks to herself.

She is sitting next to Jake drinking one of Lauren’s Christmas concoctions as Michael, Lauren, Mark, Cassie and Jessica paw at presents under the tree. The television is on and several plastic looking presenters wish the world a merry Christmas.

"I can’t believe you listened into the conversation. It was private." Julia strains her voice to whisper and keeps her eyes on Jessica.

"It won’t be much longer." Jake replies smugly.

"I want to handle it my own way. You better not mess this up for me."

"What’s the problem? All I have to do is accidentally have Lauren overhear you and me talking about Morgan’s pregnancy and she’ll fly off the deep end. Maybe if we’re lucky enough, she might go insane or something."

Julia laughs but it is not heard above the noise of the television, "Wouldn’t that be a dream come true. Anyway, we can’t do it today. It’s Christmas…goodwill to all men and all that nonsense."

Jake grins, "When has that ever stopped you?"

"Never. But I’ve already decided. Wait for a few days until we tell Lauren." She moves her glare onto Mark, "Let him sweat."

Elliott House: San Francisco

The dining room is bursting with noise. Not only are David, Robert, Leslie and Tommy excitedly opening presents, but they are singing along with carols adding to the cacophany of noise.

Stephanie smiles as she watches them. This is all she wanted. The only reason she killed that woman. To be happy. "Can I go and get mine now?" she laughs.

David refuses to respond but Tommy looks up. "Yeah Mom. Bring them in here will you?"

"Okay." Stephanie pushes her chair back and heads across the hallway into the den where her presents are sitting under the tree, waiting to be opened. But one looks different from the rest. It is wrapped differently and there is no name to say who it is from.

"Hmm." She says to herself as she picks it up. Putting it down on the coffee table in front of the sofa, she opens it carefully as though a snake may jump out and bite her. It’s an unlabeled videotape. Maybe it’s a home movie.

She gets on her knees and pushes it into the VCR before grabbing the remote control and pressing play. It takes a few seconds for the television to come on and then a few more until she realizes what she is watching. A naked couple is writhing around on a white bed and Stephanie tuts in distaste. Then she sees their faces and it becomes clear. She was right all along. Her husband is making love to Julia. There is only one way to make sure this never happens again. And she has to take care of it soon…

Next time on Power and Deception

Lauren tells Jessica her secret...

Jake sets a trap for Lauren...

David has a shocking surprise for Mark...

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Episode 12 

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